Sutter hires strategists for next campaign

Mayor Sam Sutter has recently brought on board three contracted political consultants paid through his campaign committee as he faces a preliminary election in September.

Jo C. Goode Herald News Staff Reporter @jgoodeHN

FALL RIVER — Mayor Sam Sutter has recently brought on board three contracted political consultants paid through his campaign committee as he faces a preliminary election in September. The new mayor’s first term is oddly short due to his coming to office in the the recall election.

“He wants to keep his finger on the political side,” said Lou Pacheco, Sutter’s chief of staff and the former police chief of Raynham.

Sutter has tapped Boston-based consultants Cence Cincotti Strategies, a firm he used in his mayoral election. Pacheco said Jason Cincotti will conduct strategy, data and poll; while Dan Cence will be in charge of messaging and production of messaging.

Katheryn Alexander, Sutter’s mayoral campaign manager during the recall election, described herself to a reporter, during one of two Sutter press conferences on Tuesday, as doing public relations work for the mayor.

Pacheco stressed that no taxpayer dollars are going to the consultants, but are being paid through Sutter’s campaign committee, and that they will not have any input in the mayor’s decision-making in city matters.

He said getting the correct message to residents was important, and used the example of how the pay-as-you-throw program was rolled out under former Mayor Will Flanagan.

“It was criticized by people,” Pacheco said.

During the first of Tuesday’s press conferences, where Sutter announced his decision to apply for a SAFER grant, Alexander greeted media as they arrived, as she had done the previous Friday during a press conference with Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sutter.

Cence was present during both press conferences on Tuesday, including the second with Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito.

On Feb. 10, in a rather unprecedented appearance for a mayor, Sutter appeared before the City Council Committee on Ordinances and Legislation to pitch his need for an additional mayoral staff member position be created by ordinance.

The committee recommended establishing a new special assistant to the mayor, which still requires a full council vote. Since Sutter came into office on Dec. 30, recent Brown University graduate Rob Bentlyewski has filled the $45,000-a-year job as a contracted employee. He held a similar post under Sutter from June to December, when Sutter was still Bristol County district attorney.

Pacheco said that Bentlyewski continues to work the “day-to-day” duties, which according to his job description presented to the committee include doing research for the administration and working with the media, including writing press releases. It is a similar position Bentlyewski held in the district attorney’s office between June and December.

Sutter had originally wanted two new positions created in his office, with Pacheco holding a director of operations position that would have also been created by ordinance, but changed his mind and named Pacheco as chief of staff with a $70,000 a year salary. Pacheco had also worked under Sutter as district attorney as the operations director.

Sutter’s Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance reports show Cence Cincotti Strategies were paid $5,000 in November and another $5,000 in December during the election. Alexander was paid $5,000 in December, also before the election.

No other payments have been recorded to the three consultants in January and February and Pacheco explained that Sutter’s campaign committee had to postpone a planned fundraiser and the expenditures would be paid at a later date.